I don't think that's the problem, at least not directly. I do think people sometimes expect more out of the game than is realistic (in terms of it reflecting all the choices we make), and I also think the game is occasionally too heavy handed when keeping the story moving. But I think the fundamental problem of forced romance is specific to Maya and Josy; in particular, it's specific to our old nemesis, that damn library scene.
Consider Sage's scene in Episode 5. No matter how often you turn down her advances, you are still forced to talk to her in Tybalt's room, get schooled on how fraternities are supposed to work, open up to her about the MC's dead mother, and have her make another pass at the MC. Even if you don't have sex with her, it's pretty clear she and the MC enjoy each other's company. So why is it we almost never hear anyone complaining about being railroaded into friendship with Sage?
While I'm sure it helps that she will validate the MC's choices when rejected ("If you're not gay, I'm sure the girl you really want will appreciate the fuck out of you"), I think the key is that her relationship was never plot critical. The MC will meet and hang out with Sage no matter what, but at no point will he truly invest himself in a relationship with her. Thus we as the player are free to decide how much we like Sage on our own. If we like Sage, we can see more of her and the MC will naturally grow even closer. But if we don't pursue Sage, she remains at a distance; the MC's relationship with her is unchanged, and he only considers her when she is relevant to the story at hand.
Maya and (to a slightly lesser extent) Josy did not work that way. The MC's relationship with them dominates the early game. Maya is on screen constantly, and the MC's relationship with her continues to develop no matter how much you try to avoid her. Josy is rarely onscreen but the MC thinks of her frequently, each time ruminating on how important she is. The game makes it absolutely clear that the relationships with Maya and Josy take precedence over the other girls in the MC's mind.
I suspect that was at least partially intentional, because the focus on those two helps sell the sense of confusion and betrayal the MC feels when Josy arrives at the end of Episode 3. Unfortunately, I don't think DPC realized just how wide the shadow of that focus was, because the library scene (and much of their subsequent behavior in Episode 5) only makes sense if one assumes the MC's interest in them is just as casual as the rest of the girls.
That, IMHO, is why the issues about being unable to tell Maya and/or Josy 'fuck off and die,' or my own complaints about "no strings attached" keep coming up. The game relentlessly built up the two up as the MC's most important relationships, put them in direct opposition to each other, and drove the MC to a borderline existential crisis... then insisted the problem was resolved and exploring the aftermath could get back in line and wait like everyone else. Nothing more to see here!
People who really like M&J are annoyed because they feel it cheapens the importance of the decision to form a triangle. People who hated M&J are annoyed because they never got to articulate their anger and are now stuck with (at best) ghosting the two whenever possible. And people who were only interested in one of them (or just tired of the whole matter) are stonewalled because the game refuses to examine what really happened or why.
The underlying matters weren't properly resolved, and thus they continue to haunt new content that assumes it's all just water under the bridge. Until we can finally work out the situation with them once and for all, the problem will remain. Maybe that will change if and when the MC's relationship with one of the other girls (sexual or otherwise) takes center stage for a full episode. But until something really shakes up the game dynamics again, I think M&J will continue to be a lightning rod, directly or indirectly.
